Gas purification



H. F. SMITH GAS PURIFICATION Filed July 5, 1921 Ll H I l ll lhu o N N 7o H 0 271 72155555 I Lzrezfl'br I I 1M 4. Aw Maw #444 W v lfarzzeyPatentedJuly 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES I I 1544350 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. SMITH, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A SSIGNOR TO THE GAS RESEARCH COMPANY,

OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

. GAS PURIFICATION.

Application filed m 5, 1921. swarm. 482,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. SMITH, a citizen of-the United States ofAmerica, re

. sidin at Dayton, county of Montgomery, I and tate of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Purification, ofwhich thefollowingfiisia ,fi1l1,,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to gas purification and more particularly to animproved form of apparatus for removing impurities, such as tar, fromgas.

In the patent issued to Harry F. Smith Number 1,140,198 dated May 19,1915, is described a method of removing impurities from gases and a formof apparatus for carrying that method into effect. One object of thepresent invention is to provide another form of apparatus for carryingout the method of gas purification referred to in the above patent.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description setoutbelow when taken in connectionwith the accom 2 panying drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows a view, in section, of a form of purifying apparatusembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows a purifying apparatus having a different type of diaphragm.

As set out in the above referred to patcut, and also in the patent toHarry F.

Smith No. 1,379,056, issued May 24, 1921,

impurities, such as tar, contained within a gas may be removed therefromby passing the gas, at a suitable velocity, through a 40 perviousdiaphragm, or pad, preferably of spun glass, the very fine particles of1mpurity within the gas becom ng agglomerated into drops of suchsubstantial size, while passing through the pervious diaphragm, that 4they will drop out under the action of gravity when the velocity of flowof the gas is slowed down. In the present invention this same generalmethod of purification is carried out. I

As brought out most clearly in Patent No. 1,379,056, above referred to,the effectiveness of the cleaning operation, for a given type ofdiaphragm, is dependent upon the velocity of flow of the gas within thepervious diaphragm. If the'velocity 1s 1nameter of that tube.

creased the impurities are more completely removed from the gas. Thisincreased velocity of flow, in the structures shown in the patentsreferred to, will result when the differential pressure across thediaphragm increases, and this in turn is accompanied by the expenditureof greater power for forcin the as through the diaphragm. There ore hereis, with these forms of cleaning apparatus, a certain velocity of flowwhich represents maximum efliciency. Any increase in the velocity offlow beyond this point will give an increase in cleaning effectivenessat a disproportionate expenditure of power, while a decrease in thevelocity of flow below this oint will give a decrease in the cleaning eectiveness which is disproportionate to the power saving. In thisinvention the apparatus is so constructed that the velocity of flow ofthe gas within the pervious diaphragm is maintained high without theexpenditure of excessive power. In this apparatus the pervious diaphragmis housed within a Venturi tube by means of which the pressure of thegas in the main is translated into velocity as it approaches and passesthrough the diaphragm, so that the desired velocity of flow of the gasis attained without the building up of excessive pressures in advance ofthe diaphragm, that is, without the expenditure of excessive power.

In the present invention the gas to be cleaned is led, under pressure,through the pipe 10, to which is connected one end of the purifierhousing. This housing as shown consists of a Venturi tube, designatedgenerally by the numeral 11, a pervious diaphragm or pad designatedgenerally by the numeral 12 being positioned transversely of the passagewithin the Venturi tube, and at substantially the lace of minimum dihisVenturi tube may, if desired, be a single unitary structure but foreasier manufacture, assembly and maintenance, it is shown as composed oftwo sections 15 and 16, one end of each of these sections being providedwith a suitable flange, or other means, for attachment to thecooperating part of the apparatus. The other end of each of thesesections is provided with an outstanding flange 17, these flanges beingconstructed for cooperation with each other The cooperating faces ofthese flanges are recessed, as at 18, to receive, and house, thepervious'dia hragm 12. This diaphra m may be of t e type illustrated inthe a ove referred to patents, and is preferably of some filamentous orfibrous material. A pad of very fine spun glass will function verysatisfactorily, for

example.

The pervious diaphragm 12, however, is illustrated as being com osedof alurality of fine, closely space wires or la-v ments. These wires orfilaments may be of metal, or spun glass, of hair or of any otheranalogous material. This filamentous material is shown as wound about abobbin or holder 20, having the edge cut away, as at 21, to facilitateholdmg the filaments 1n assembled osition. The holder 20 is alsoprovided with a port22 therethrough whlch correspondsin size and shapewith the as- 20.

sage through the Venturi tube 11. he filaments are so arranged as toform two spaced layers, located upon opposlte sldes of the holder 20,and so posltloned, when the device is assembled, that the gas passingthrough the Venturi tube must also pass through and in intimate contactwith these tached to the delivery pipe 10 while the member 16 isattached to the inlet 25 of a fitting or separator designated generallyby the numeral 26, the outlet 27 of this separator being connected tothe oth r section of the delivery main'lO. The fitt- 1g 26 has a baflie28 locatedtherein, intermediate the inlet opening 25 and-outlet opening27, and the fitting is so proportioned that the gas, as it assesthereinto from the Venturi tube 11, Wlll have its velocity verymaterially decreased.

The fitting 26 is also provided with a passage 30, connected to thatpart of the fitting in advance of the bafile 28, a tar collecting tankor sump 31 being connected to this passage 30.

As the gas passes through the delivery main 10, under pressure, into theinlet end 15 of the Venturi 11 its velocity will be increased withoutany increase in the pressure in advance of the diaphragm, that is,without. any corresponding increase in the power input necessary formoving the gas through the apparatus. As this rapidly movinggas, whichcarries therein particles of impurity, such as tar fog passes throughthe diaphragm 12 the particles of impurity will be the velocit ing oneend connected to said main, a

the gas bem caused to of substantialsize, which will be carried by thegas through the diaphragm, and, because of 4 of the 7 within the Venturitube, will c'arri along by thegas as it into the fitting 26, itsvelocity wi passesout of the Venturi. 'As the 4 very materialldecreased. Further, its direction will be a ruptly changed on account ofthe baflle 28 located within this fitting. Con

sequently the drops of impurity will settle from the gasthroutgliv theaction of gravity and will pass into'-- e sump 31. 7 1 An opemng 32,islocated in the bottom of the sump, to which may be a drain pipe,provided, if desi'red, P mp g t t. E

iss hbwnitslightl modified suitable means for the sump.

And in Fig. 3 form of apparatus. In this In cation thev perviousdiaphragm consists of a ad or mat 12' of finely spun glass wool. T is ofthe same character as described in the is mat above referred toapplication and theoperation of the device, in the removal of impuritiesfrom the gas, is exact-1y the same in principle and in practice as theoperation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 28nd described above.g

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to. these precise forms of apparatus, and that changesmay bemade in either without de artin from the scope of the invention whch is efined in the appended claims.

YVIiat is claimed is: Y n apparatus or uri gases a Venturi tube, throughw ichthe gas to be purified is passed, a rvious. diaphragm within saidtube, within which diaphragm the impurities carried by the gas arecaused to agglomerate intoparticlcs of substantial size; and meansassociated with the outlet end of the Venturi tube for removing suchagglomerated particles from the gas.

2. In apparatus for purifying gases, the combination'of a main through.which gas to be cleaned is passed, a Venturi tube havnation with amain, throu h which gas to be cleaned is passed; of a enturi tube madein two sections, means at one end of each section for attaching saidsection to the said main, an outstanding flange at the-other end of eachsection for cooperating with the corresponding flange on the otherVenturi section, each of said flanges having a. recess therein, the tworecesses, when the sections of the Venturi are in assembled positionconstituting apocket; a bobbin positioned within the said pocket in theflanged ends of the Venturi section, having a centrally arranged openingtherein for registration with the passage through the venturi, afilament wound about said bobbin to form a pervious diaphragm across thepassage through the Venturi tube; packing material positioned Intestimony whereof I hereto afiix my 20 signature.

HARRY F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

HERMAN Gt DUERR, CHARLES C. GREENE.

